Non Electronic Aids

NECAS is a low-tech communication aid service. We help people around Australia understand what communication aids they need and how to use them.

Scope’s Non-Electronic Communication Aid Service (NECAS) can:

• Work out what communication aid is needed

• Make communication aids

• Help you to design your communication aid

• Provide training about communication aids

• Provide services for children and adults

• Make and loan Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD^TM) communication books

Our types of non-electronic communication aids include:

• Dynamic Display (PODD™) communication books
• Alphabet boards
• Customised communication books
• E-tran boards

Our communication aids catalogue has the full range available.

Using your communication aid

Conversations happen for many reasons. Your communication aid or system should support the types of conversations you want to have. For example, you might use a communication aid to:

• Chat with friends, family or co-workers
  ‘Comprehensive expressive’ aids like PODD books, alphabet boards, and communication boards are useful here. These aids include a range of messages represented by letters, words, photos, and other symbols.

• Get something done
  Communication books, boards, and cards can help in specific situations, from hailing a taxi to playing your favourite board game. These ‘targeted expressive’ aids have a small set of messages in them for a particular purpose. They include community request cards, choice boards, and activity-specific communication boards.

• Organise your daily tasks
  Visual cues and reminders can help make sense of your day, remember events, or understand tasks. They also help convey abstract information, such as time. Targeted aids include picture or object calendars, shopping lists, first-then boards, task schedules, and social stories.

• Show others how you like to communicate
  We often communicate with different people throughout the day. You can use an information aid to show your preferred communication method, likes and dislikes, and strategies you use that work well for you.